Portugal travels to the Fussball Arena in Munich to take on Germany in the second round of the group stage games. Group F contains some of the best teams in the world and its result will be crucial in deciding not just the teams for the Round of 16 but even the potential winners.

The reigning champions kicked off their title defence with a win against Hungary. Portugal completely turned the tide on Hungary’s rock-solid defence towards the end of the game. Going from 0-0 to 3-0 in a matter of 8 minutes is a testament to their drive and perseverance. Cristiano Ronaldo scored 2 goals to become the top goal-scorer in the history of the competition. However, this result will not matter if the Portuguese don’t follow it up with a win against Germany. They will know that while they have done well, the job is far from over in terms of qualifying for the next round.

Germany, on the other hand, was handed a very disappointing 1-0 defeat to France. A Mats Hummels own goal was enough to decide the result but that did not tell the story. Joachim Lowe’s men were toothless for the most part and inefficient in possession. Paul Pogba had a field day, dismantling their midfield at will. They now find themselves in 3rd place in the group, well clear of the second-placed spots. If they fail to make a significant impact in this game as well, it will be tough to qualify through the 3rd placed spots also.

Team News – Portugal

Portugal has no injuries to worry about for this fixture. Fernando Santos will not be looking to make wholesale changes to the side that beat Hungary 3-0. Man City’s Ruben Dias and Porto’s Pepe will keep their place in centre-back. Goal-scorer, Raphael Guerreiro has done enough to get the nod and will start in the left-back role alongside Nelson Semedo in right-back.

Renato Sanches did well when called upon and was involved in Portugal winning the penalty against Hungary. He might get a start ahead of William Carvalho and alongside Danilo Pereira. Bernardo Silva will continue on the right, Diogo Jota should start on the left and United’s Bruno Fernandes will play down the middle. Cristiano Ronaldo is a non-negotiable part of this side.

Possible Lineup – Rui Patricio; Nelson Semedo, Pepe, Ruben Dias, Raphael Guerreiro; Renato Sanches, Danilo Pereira; Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Jota; Cristiano Ronaldo

Team News – Germany

Joachim Lowe will be making a mistake if he lines up with the same side that started against France. Despite the own goal, Mats Hummels will keep his spot in the defence. Marcel Halstenberg or Emre Can could be called upon to replace Matthias Ginter.

Ilkay Gundogan could be dropped from the side after a poor showing. They will look to bring in a more defence-minded player like Leon Goretzka to partner with Toni Kroos. Joshua Kimmich will begrudgingly start in the right-wing-back role as Lowe will want to see him in central midfield.

Serge Gnabry is very likely to be dropped as Thomas Muller will be given a free role. Chelsea’s Timo Werner and Kai Havertz can start in this do or die game.

Possible Lineup – Manuel Neuer; Marcel Halstenberg, Mats Hummels, Antonio Rudiger; Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka, Toni Kroos, Robin Gosens; Thomas Muller, Kai Havertz, Timo Werner

Likely Winner?

The last time these 2 sides met, Germany thrashed Portugal 4-0 on their way to winning the 2014 World Cup. However, the Selecao have improved leaps and bounds since then and actually go into this game as the favourites. A win against Germany and they can go into the last game of the group stages with a relaxed frame of mind. Germany, on the other hand, is fighting for survival in this tournament. Another loss will see them most definitely crash out of the Euro 20. The game against Hungary was a great example of Portugal’s prowess. Germany can not give them even an inch of space for the entire game owing to players like Cristiano, Fernandes and Bernardo. Die Mannschaft will also find it hard to break down a defence consisting of Ruben Dias and Pepe.

Score Prediction: Portugal 2-0 Germany.